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I first became aware of DJ Popup through Safe Distro, and C.K. I bought his record “Take Time” and have been a fan since then. To me, his music stands firmly in the region of house. Sometimes it sounds like he has cut up some clever parts of funk, disco, layered them with atmospheric stabs, jacking percussion & forever rolling basslines. Other times, the music is focused around a vocal sample or stab - but everything has a perfect amount of groove, and stripped back percussion & synths, written with a subtlety that feels restrained & classy.
His mix is a through many facets of house music - it starts us in slower, atmospheric territory, slowly picking up the pace into deep, soulful house. From there, it pulses between more jacking, loopy, punchy territory and deeper moments. Its reminiscent of his own productions, and I can hear his sound throughout the whole mix.
DJ Popup has a new album out this month, and I can’t wait to hear it in full. His “Love Potential” was easily one of my most played and listened to EPs in 2025, and inspired me endlessly.
I hope you’ll enjoy this mix, and interview with DJ Popup :)
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Peach: Hi DJ Popup :) Thank you for being part of the Sixth Sense mix series. How are you?
DJ Popup: Hey Serena <3
Thanks for inviting me. I’m very happy to be able to contribute.
I’m feeling good, thank you. It’s been a productive 12 months in the studio, with some fun projects (both with friends and solo) now being finished and ready to see the light of day.
P: Where did you grow up?
DJP: I grew in Christianshavn (a part of Copenhagen, mostly known for the freetown of Christania)
P: What was that like?
DJP: I remember it as being very diverse, in terms of community. My brother and I would walk to school and meet all sorts of fates on our way, and also in our classes and friendgroups. I feel thankful to have been invited into many different homes as a kid.
P: Where are you based now?
DJP: I’m based in Nørrebro, another part of Copenhagen.
P: Have you lived there long?
DJP: I’ve lived in various places in Nørrebro. It’s where I’ve lived most of my life.
P: What is the scene like in Copenhagen? Can you share some of your early memories on a dancefloor?
DJP: In this day and age, I’m not the right person to ask hahaha. I rarely go out in Cph. I mainly go to small venues to support friends. We used to go to a club called Jolene a lot. My friends and I had a residency there. I think of it as our cradle, where we learned to DJ and throw parties. Back in 2016, you could go there Thursday-Sunday, and you knew at least three of your friends were there on either of the nights, either dancing or throwing a party (no phone calls needed).
P: The places you go out to support friends, are they mostly illegal venues? Or legal? My understanding is the scene in Copenhagen is quite small.
DJP: Mostly established venues. Yes, the scene in Copenhagen is very small. There are some groups/communities that try to create unique music concerts and parties that aim to focus on more than just “going out”. Personally, it feels like there’s an abrupt period of reflection happening in the city. I’m excited to see what will happen next year. We are also slowly gonna start to do some parties again. Fingers crossed.
P: I first became aware of you through your Take Time EP, which is the 3rd release on your NES label. This is through Safe Distro and I want to say I first heard of you somehow through C.K. but I can’t quite recall. What is your connection to Safe Distro and the community in Arhus? When did you meet and how did you connect and what led you to working with them for distribution? And what does NES stand for, if anything?
DJP: When my friends and I started getting into more electronic music, back in 2012, my friend Andreas was a part of a crew called Dunkel. It was a crew and a venue. The same year 2 Bit Crew (C.K & Optic) were playing, and Andreas snuck me in (we were only 16 at the time). They were playing live, and I was just blown away. I had never heard that music being played live before. That was the first real spark. Andreas later got me on to two dj’s, the same age as us, called Milan & Bastian (Milan being DJ Sports and both of them being a part of Regelbau). We were huge fans! In 2014, my friends and I were in Aarhus because Andreas had arranged to meet with Bastian and the crew. There I met the guys for the first time. I quickly became close with Bastian at first. We had arranged that I could buy the first regelbau release from him, when I was in Aarhus. We ended up spending the whole day together and bonded super quickly. I met the guys several times, throughout the years, and slowly connected with them more and more. In 2018 I started sending tracks to Chris, and just wanted some feedback on them. One night he was playing at Jolene, at I came up to him and ask what track he was playing, he looked really frustrated at me, “ are you joking? It’s your track hahaha.” I had never imagined that he would play anything of mine, so I had just sweated the tracks I had made out of my system. That track ended up being on the first NES record. After that we started hanging out more and more and became good friends. I was fortunate enough that the guys wanted to do the distribution for the NES label, when I decided to launch it in 2019.
NES is a slang term for Ordrup Næs, where our old summerhouse used to be. I would bring my gear and lock myself in there for days. The first record was made there, so I thought it would be a nice homage to my family’s place.
Ordrup Næs
P: Who are your favourite DJs? Who inspires you?
DJP: I’m diggin’ Manmade’s Phelt mix a lot these days. Matty is just a phenomenal selector. Also still listening to a lot of old Spencer Kincy (Gemini) mixes. I’m very inspired by his energetic style.
P: Can you share some links with us? :)
DJP: ofc!
Mandee’s mix : Manmade Deejay by Phelt Magazine
SK’s mixxx: Spencer Kincy aka Gemini - Radio Campus, Brussels (July 17, 1995)
P: How long have you been collecting music? Do you have favourite ways to look for music?
DJP: When I was 10, my fathers friend, who was a music journalist at the time, handed me a library with 10.000 songs, which he had been collecting for years. It had everything from jazz-techno-bluegrass, and it opened my world to a lot of music from a young age. I’ve been very privileged to start from there.
P: Okay wow thats quite a gift to give a 10 year old. Have you gotten through it all yet?
DJP: I’ve gotten through the most of it :) . I think I’m still missing some classical compilations and a couple of early Elton John albums.
P: Is music full time for you, or do you do have another job for work?
DJP: I’ve been working in a home doing carework for kids with autism. I’ve been on a break since june. I saved up so I could finish my latest projects, and just be more present with the different processes.
P: Your new EP was one of my favourite things that came out last year. When did you start writing music?
DJP: Thank you so much. I’m very happy to you like it 🙂
I started working on music at the end of middle school, just messing around in Ableton. I sat a long time after school, in between playing Age of Empire II, trying to record some drums.
P: Whats your setup like? Are you in the box, or out of the box?
DJP: It changes from time to time. I’ve been using a few pieces of gear since the beginning, and sometimes they lead the production. Sometimes I sample myself, strictly in the box.
P: Something I get asked a lot on Dreamland questions from Dreamers is how did you arrive at your sound. Do you feel like you have a sound, and is there a way that you got there?
DJP: I guess that’s not for me to say. I’ve met people and been told by friends that there are some similarities in the ways my productions evolve and sound. I feel very humbled that there are some signature elements in that regard. I don’t strive to have a certain sound. It very much comes down to how the tracks make me feel. I feel like I have something going, if I feel like I’m in a jumping castle or wanna skip rope hahaha.
P: I definitely think you have a sound. There is a mood in your tracks that is very particular. You have a new album out/coming out which I am so excited for. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind it ?
DJP: Yes :) Last year I wanted to pick up a new instrument, as a way to challenge myself and see if it could push my music in a different direction. I bought a bass, and just started tapping away to some funk records. It felt very good to sit focused with an instrument and play along. After I had rehearsed a bit, I started trying to play on some drum tracks, and that led to the album. Me, learning to play the bass.
P: Thats so cool - so are you playing bass on the whole album? Can you tell us a bit more about your experience learning the bass? I imagine it gives a bit more body to the basslines you’re writing..
DJP: I would say it’s 50% of raw bass material on the album. The ideas of the other bass parts, stems from just sitting with the bass, then recording away, and then transcribing the ideas to other synthmodules. It has also been a sort of compass for the album. A really fun process.
P: What was your inspiration behind the mix? Was there a track you were especially building to?
DJP: I had this B.O.P. - Together - track on my mind for a while, and wanted to make a mix that included that song. I thought it would also be a good way to showcase what’s coming out on NES.
P: How did you record this mix?
DJP: I hadn’t touched a record since April (hence the rustic mixing heheh). I browsed through the latest records I had purchased, and mixed them with upcoming premasters from my friends and myself. Recorded at STRØM
P: Sunrise or Sunset? What is a track you would play during Sunrise or Sunset?
DJP: It has the be Darryl James / David Anthony Project – Buddah (Mix 3) during a sunset.
When the bass comes on…peeew
P: Can you tell us where we can see you DJ over the next while?
DJP: No gigs as of now. Looking to change that :)
Tracklist:
Urban Tribe - Nebula
Unreleased N.Månsson
Send0Return100 - Yard (Safe Archive)
Mike Herting - Algodoal
Upcoming Mitro
Jovonn - A Definition Of A Track
Techniqúe - Frankie's Theme
Brothers Of Peace - Together
Jungle Love - Love Juice
Unreleased Track & Trace
Mr. Hazeltine - On The Avenue (Mannequin Lung Remix)
Collis King - Feelins
The S-Men - Back (Junior's Deep Sleep On A Pillow Of Bass Mix)
Simple Logic - Moving On (Roc N Kato Dub)
Unreleased DJ Popup
Upcoming DJ Popup (Air Miles)
Knights Of X'S – It's Something I Feel
SMS - Hver Sin Melodi (Upcoming on NES)
Upcoming Central (NES)
After Sun - Lovers (Original Mix)
Frankie Foncett - The Ride (Tribute To Trouble Anderson)
Upcoming DJ Popup (NES)
Upcoming DJ Popup (Air Miles)
Upcoming Central (NES)
Schuhservice - Fraglos Gut In Shorts